The route starts with one of the most difficult single track sections (for the ride), winding along Lake Creek and crossing under Highway 26. The trail undulates up and down a bit, with views of the creek to the right.

Lake Creek currently provides spawning habitat for native redband trout and nesting habitat for a wide range of neotropical songbirds. Lake Creek is also an important part of current efforts to reintroduce spring chinook and sockeye salmon to the upper Deschutes Basin. Historically, a significant proportion of Metolius River spring chinook spawned in Lake Creek, and one of Oregon’s two native sockeye salmon runs migrated through Lake Creek to Suttle Lake. By protecting the Metolius Preserve, the Land Trust is helping to ensure a successful reintroduction of salmon in the upper Deschutes Basin. [Deschutes Land Trust]

After passing under Highway 26, a section that may to be walked, the trail remains single track for the next 1.5 miles, but it is wider and mostly downhill. This section of trail gives you that superhero feeling.(Micro-video) When the trail turns to double track, stay in the right hand groove, as the left hand groove is the horse trail and more rutted and soft.

At ~ mile 2.8 it is a right hand turn on single track into the Metolius Preserve proper. This section of single track is primitive and narrow, but short in length. In the Preserve proper the route is a series of loops inter-connected by a common trail. The course traverses the Preserve in a counter-clockwise direction taking in the west half of each loop in first and then back tracking using the east half of each loop. The loops are Larch, Fir, and Pine. The course comes into the Larch loop at the mid-way point from the Lake Creek trail.

The Land Trust acquired and protected the 1,240 acre Metolius Preserve in 2003. This primarily forested property supports mature ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, and western larch, as well as a rich diversity of other plant species. Three miles of Lake Creek, an important tributary to the Metolius River, flow through the property, contributing to the rich habitat found on the Preserve. [Deschutes Land Trust]

Watch your navigation closely, as it is easy to miss a turn, but difficult to get lost. We would also recommend that you download the Metolius Preserve map from the Deschutes Land Trust.

The Larch Loop:
The Larch Trails “take visitors through one of the most ecologically diverse sections of the Preserve. Fall is spectacular in this section of the Preserve when red and orange vine maple leaves and brilliant yellow larch shine. Spring and summer offer beautiful wildflowers and butterflies.”

The Fir Loop:
“The Fir Trail offers a great introduction to the Metolius Preserve with covered interpretive kiosk and creekside viewing platforms. Springtime brings lovely native wildflowers like mariposa lily, summertime offers cool, creekside refuge from hot sun, and fall blazes with beautiful golden bracken fern.”

The Pine Loop:
“The Pine Trails of the Preserve are home to our (The Deschutes Land Trust’s) most visible forest restoration efforts and are a great place to observe white-headed woodpeckers and other cavity nesting birds working on the snags we’ve created.”

Upon existing the Deschutes Land Trust, it is back onto the double track(Micro-video) of Lake Creek trail and then the single track section as you near Suttle Lake. This last bit is a bit more steep, with one short pitch in excess of 9% grade.

The Deschutes Land Trust conserves land for wildlife, scenic views, and local communities. We care for more than 13,023 acres in our region for today, tomorrow, and for generations to come. [Deschutes Land Trust]